Autism Assessments

Where can an Autism assessment be done?

Autism assessments can be done by a government funded service for free. Or you may elect to have the assessment done privately. There is Medicare funding to enable you to use private specialists for an assessment. Please go to the Medicare link for more information.

Medicare information on the Federal Government Helping Children with Autism Initiative

Bendigo CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service)

A government-funded service.

Bendigo CAMHS has a triage service that will take your calls. Then referrals are made to the Coordinator of the Autism Disorder Assessment Service as appropriate. A team of specialists will then assess if your child has an ASD. This service is for both pre-school and school-age children, up to 18 years of age. The Autism Disorder Assessment Service (ADAS) is a regional service and is free of charge.

Contact: Bendigo CAHMS – Ph: 1300 363 788.

What happens at a child assessment?

Before the Assessment

The Coordinator of the Autism Diagnostic Assessment Service will contact you by phone for a “screening interview” – this enables the Coordinator to determine what assessments need to be completed. You will require: A recent cognitive or intellectual assessment administered by a psychologist. Then they may consult:

A speech and language assessment conducted by a speech pathologist.

Early intervention therapists

Student service personnel who visit schools

Private practitioners

The Autism Assessment

Now your child is ready for an Autism-specific assessment. If Bendigo CAMHS are doing the assessment, it will be held at the Autism Assessment Centre. This centre is located at 8 Wallace Avenue, Flora Hill. The assessment involves a specific session with your child and an extensive interview with the parents/caregivers. In keeping with what is considered best practice for diagnosing autism disorders, the Autism assessment is conducted by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of:

a speech pathologist

a psychologist

a paediatrician.

This team will review various checklists and rating scales to make a diagnosis.

After the Assessment

Following the assessment parents receive the team’s diagnosis in the form of a report. Then parents can consult further with the team Coordinator to develop an understanding of the consequences of their child’s diagnosis. Several months after you receive a diagnosis, there is generally a further session offered to the parents. This provides the opportunity for parents to:

have further queries addressed

learn more about Autism

discuss strategies for managing behaviours

The Coordinator can also visit your child’s school and meet with teachers to provide support and advice about Autism.

Private Services

Time for a Future – Centre for Child Development

This multi-disciplinary team provides a range of professional services to both children and adolescents with special needs and their families. Services include:

The ASD Clinic

Adult and Specialist Assessment Clinics

There are currently no publicly funded adult assessment clinics in Victoria. For adults seeking an assessment, the best option is to consult a psychologist and/or psychiatrist with experienced in the assessment and diagnosis for autism. They will ask a lot of questions about your childhood, experiences at school and as an adult, and may do some psychological or psychiatric testing. This information will be used to help make a diagnosis. A speech pathologist could also be consulted to assess the individual’s social communication skills.

The following document has a list of Assessments Practitioners for Autism in Victoria